Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nonprofit Funding Humane Society topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Humane Society asks Stevens County for larger annual allotment, cites increased veterinary costs and community services
Summary
Representatives from the local humane society described expanded services — including on-site veterinary care, feral cat work and law-enforcement support — and requested an increase in county funding to $5,000 for the 2026 allotment.
Representatives of the Stevens County Humane Society told the county board the nonprofit’s services and costs have grown over two decades and asked the board to increase its annual county allotment to $5,000 for 2026.
Tracy (Humane Society) summarized the organization’s evolution from a small foster-based group into a licensed kennel with on-site veterinary care after an estate gift enabled a building in 2019. The society now handles about 200 animals per year across the county, the presentation said; animals that come into care are vaccinated and, when possible, spayed or neutered before adoption. The society described operating “as best we can as a no-kill shelter” except in severe untreatable cases.
Costs have risen substantially, the presenters said. Veterinary expenses the group reported were about $8,900 in 2014 and roughly $28,000 in 2024. The society reported operating on a modest deficit in 2024: roughly $46,000 in income and about $51,000 in expenses. The society said adoption fees do not cover full costs and that the organization maintains a part-time shelter manager and relies heavily on volunteers.
The humane society also described a targeted feral cat program that provided free or subsidized spay/neuter and screening; presenters said that program has removed dozens of cats from public spaces in communities such as Alberta and Chicago (town names as stated in the presentation). The society described cooperative work with law enforcement for animal impounds and holds, referencing mandatory five-day holds under Minnesota statute for impounded animals.
Request and next steps: The humane society asked the county to increase its annual allotment from the historical $1,000 to $5,000 for 2026 to help cover rising veterinary and facility costs. County commissioners said they will review the request during an upcoming budget work session; no board action was taken during the meeting (the presentation was informational and the board stated no action would be taken that day).
Why it matters: The humane society provides countywide animal-care services, law-enforcement assistance, and public-health benefits tied to stray/feral animal control. Its request, if approved during budget deliberations, would increase county support for animal services that the society says have expanded in scale and cost.
Provenance: Presentation by the Humane Society began when staff invited Tracy and Kathleen to speak and continued through a detailed account of services, costs and the feral cat program. The request for $5,000 for the 2026 allotment was stated near the end of the presentation.
